Machine for forming pies and the like



Sept. 29, 1936.

Original Filed July 50, 193.?,r

E. MOSS MACHINE FOR FORMING PIES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1936. E. Moss 2,055,726

MACHINE FOR FORMING PIES AND THE LIKE Original Filed July 50, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 2o .152 57 22 52 o v o 60'., n 37 a 61 :I vwl/,1,

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7e 7 l INVENTQR 7,- 73 75 2 ELIZABETH Moss v BY/I 75 F1510- ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR FORMING PIES AND THE LIKE Elizabeth Moss, Roscoe, Calif.

Application July 30, i932, serial No. 626,455 Renewed March 12. 1936 13 Claims.

This invention has to do with the art of producing filled pastry confections, and is more particularly related to a novel type of machine which is especially adapted for use in forming or mold- 6- ing filled pies.

It is a primary object of this invention to produce a machine of the class described which is largely automatic in its operation and which is so constructed and designed that several machines may be supervised by one operator.

The general construction of the machine contemplated by this invention comprises a table which carries a base section along the edges of which are hinged a plurality of side members, the

table and the side members being so constructed that under normal conditions the side members will lie in a substantially flat plane which includes the base section. In addition to the side members, the form includes a pair of top members 2o, Which are hinged to two of the side members and are arranged so as to be closed over the space dened by the four side walls when they are raised into a vertical position.

It is an important object of this invention to 25, provide a ma-chine of the class described' with an operating mechanism whereby the sides and the top plates will be automatically opened and closed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide 3 0; the engaging edges of the top plate with means which Will facilitate the release of the ller formed in the mold.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention, together with other objects attending its production will be best understood. from the following description of the accompanying drawings which are chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken 10i away showing a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away illustrating the machine sho-wn in Fig. l with the form plates folded out into a flat or normal position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section showing one corner of the mold` and illustrating a preferred manner of hinging the various mold plates to the supporting table; 50,` Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 4 4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 55 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 6, 6a, '7, 7a, 8, and 8a, are diagrammatic 55 side and end views illustrating the variousA stages in the operation of molding an article in the machine contemplated by my invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section illustrating one form of construction used in the edges of the cover or top plates; and 5` Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section illustrating another form of edge construction.

More particularly describing the invention-as herein illustrated, reference numeral I I indicates,

what I may term, a table member which is shown 10 as being supported by leg plates or standards I2 and I2 which in turn are secured at their lower ends to a base member I3. In this form of my invention the table member II is provided with an opening I4 and is recessed along the ends of 15l so supported that when they are in aY normal 251 position they lie in a substantially flat horizontal plane which is common to the surface of the table I I. It will be observed that the plates I9 extend beyond the edges of the base section, dened by bottom plates 2|, a substantial distance which, 310.

in this form of my invention, corresponds to the depth of the end plates Z0. At the mid portions of these side plates I9, I provide cover plates 22 which are hinged to the sidev plates as indicated at 23 and which, when the form is closed as 35- shown in Fig. 1, provide a cover for the form and incidently fold over the sections of dough which cover the finished pie.

As has been previously pointed out, it is one object of this invention to provide a form or ma- 40 chine of the class described which is automatically operated so as to close and open and also release the ller formed in the mold. The mechanism whereby such automatic operation is effected embodies a rotatable shaft 25 which :is 45 mounted in suitable bearings in the supporting standards I2 for example, and which is associated with any suitable driving means not shown.

Reference numerals 26 and 2S indicate guide standards which are secured to the base plate I3 50 by means of suitable bolts.

In this form of my invention, the operation of the form or mold is effected by means of a plurality of cams mounted in the shaft 25. The cams just referred to are indicated by reference numerals 21, 21', 28, 28', 29, and 30 and are associated with followers and operating links for effecting the various operations illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8a inclusive. Referring to these latter figures, Figs. 6 and 6a illustrate the form plates in their normal position with such plates lying in a substantially flat plane. When the plates are in this position the shaft 25 is so positioned that all of the cams with the exception of cams 28 and 28 have their low pointslon the upper side of the shaft.

Referring back to Fig. 1, reference numerals 32 and 32 indicate cam followers which are mounted on the lower ends of reciprocating bars or links 33 and 33', such bars being received in guide blocks 34 and 34 and the followers are held in yieldable engagement with the cams 21 and 21 by means of springs indicated by reference numerals 35 and 35', the upper ends of the bar 33 and 33' being pivotally attached to swinging links 36 and 3B' which in turn are pivotally attached to the end plates 20 as indicated at 31.

The table member is provided with openings or slots indicated at 38 to permit the extension and operation of the links 36 and 36.

The cams 28 and 28 are engaged by followers 4U and 49', such followers being mounted on bars 4l and 4| which extend through guides 42 and 42 and are connected at their upper ends to links 43 and 43 which in turn are pivotally secured to the bottom plates 2i. The followers 40 and 43 are yieldably held in engagement with the cams by means of springs 45 and 45.

The mechanism just described is adapted to normally hold the bottom of the form in a closed position and it will be observed from Fig. 4 that the cams 28 and 28 are of a modified heart type so that after the form is closed the continued movement of the cam permits a quick release of the bottom, dropping the ller from the form onto a traveling conveyor belt indicated by reference numeral 43, after which the bottom is immediately closed and is held closed by the dwell portion of the cam through substantially 220 of rotation of the shaft.

The cam 30 which is employed to close the top or cover plates 22, engages the follower 48 which is mounted at the connecting point of two links 49 and 50. These links are connected at their lower ends to form a substantial V as will be seen from Fig. 5, their upper ends being bent inwardly so as to permit connection to the cover members, such connection being made to two arms I and 52 which are formed on the cover members as indicated in Fig. 5. A spring is provided at 53 for the purpose of holding the follower 38 on the cam 30 and another tension spring 55 is interposed between the links 49 and 55 for the purpose of snapping the cover plates into open and closed position during the operation of the machine.

The side plates I9 are raised into an upward position and such plates are also opened by means of the cam 29. The lifting of the side plates is effected through the medium of a follower 5'! which is mounted at the intersecting point of two links 58 and 59 secured at their upper ends to the side members I9 by means of the outwardly extending ears 6U and 6I. The opening movement of the form is effected when the cam 29 has rotated through substantially 180 at which time it will engage a follower 69 mounted at an intermediate point on a lever member 6l which is fulcrumed on a short standard 62 mounted on the base plate I3 and has its free end pivoted to an elongated link 63 which in turn is secured at its upper end to the ear 60. Since the side mem bers are interconnected through the medium of the links 58 and 59 as are also the cover members, a downward pull on the link 63 is effective to open the side members against the action of the spring 55 and since the cams 21, 21 and 30, when such movement is made, have their low points above the shaft, the various springs 35, 35 and 53 are effective to draw the associated links and the corresponding plate members into a flat position. The continued movement of the shaft, however, through the medium of the cams and levers, swings the side, end and top plates into the position shown in Figs. 7 and 7a, after which the top plates or cover plates 22 are snapped into the closed position shown in Figs. 8 and 8a by the action of the spring 55. The continued rotation of the shaft brings the cams 28 and 28 into the position where their low points are below the corresponding followers at which time the springs 45 and 45 together with the weight of the filler snap the bottom section open and permit the filler to drop onto the conveyor.

As was pointed out above, this machine is especially designed for use in forming rectangular or box type pies and in the operation the dough, which has been rolled out in a sheet of the proper size, is laid on the form as shown in Figs. 6 and 6a. The required amount of ller is placed on the top of the dough and the folding of the form automatically encloses the filler in the pie which, when finished, has a rectangular shape with a seam along the longitudinal center of its top.

To securely seal the closed edges along the top, I prefer to form the engaging edges of the top plates 22 with recesses as indicated at 10. In the form shown in Fig. 9, for the purpose of facilitating the release of the material at the closed edges, I propose to cover these recessed edges with a fabric material such as a suitable muslin cloth indicated by reference numeral 1|, such material being held in place in any suitable manner such as by means of wires 12. As a further means of facilitating the release of the formed article, I propose to make the mold of nonconductive material such as bakelite and provide the interengaging edges of the plates 22 with metallic ribs 13 which are provided with heating elements indicated at 14, such heating elements being associated through conductors 15 with a source of electric energy not shown. It will be understood, of course, that, while I have described this particular edge construction in connection with the top plates only, such construction or various modifications thereof might also be employed at the other engaging edges of the mold.

It will be understood that, while I have herein described and illustrated one preferred form of my invention, the invention is not limited to the precise construction described above but includes within its scope whatever changes fairly come Within the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A machine for molding filled pastry confections embodying: a plurality of plates hinged together to form a box; means for supporting said plates in a substantially flat plane; and means comprising a single rotatable shaft, cams on said shaft, followers engaging said cams and means associated with said followers for swinging said plates from said plane into a closed position.

2. A machine of the class described embodying: a supporting table having a bas-e section therein; side plates hinged to said table along fegssc sie the''sides ofisaid base section, fand top i"plates `yhifiged""to'said side plates; a shaft jour- -aldin'isaidlstandards below said table; 'a pair "of-latrally'spaced earnsu mounted onl said shaft; v followers engaging s'aidcams; vertically reciproeating "guide "bars mounted fon`- said followers;

shaftyfollowers engaging"isaidcams; iand@ eans connecting said followers to said side plates, cams being vs'hapedsoas to swing said plates into a closed box and open said box once during each revolution of said shaft.

3. A machine for molding lled pastry confections embodying: a base section; end plates hinged to the ends of said base section; side plates hinged to the sides of said base section, said side plates extending a substantial distance beyond the ends of said base section; means for swinging said plates upwardly from a substantially horizontal plane to form a box; and top plates hinged to said side plates and means for closing said top plates, said top plates being recessed along their engaging edges.

4. A machine for molding filled pastry confections embodying: a base section; end plates hinged to the ends of said base section; side plates hinged to the sides of said base section, said side plates extending a substantial distance beyond the ends of said base section; means for swinging said plates upwardly from a substantially horizontal plane to form a box; top plates hinged to said side plates and means for closing said top plates; and a fabric covering over the engaging edges of said top plates.

5. A machine for molding lled pastry confections embodying: a base section; end plates hinged to the ends of said base section; side plates hinged to the sides of said base section, said side plates extending a substantial distance beyond the ends of said base section; means for swinging said plates upwardly from a substantially horizontal plane to form a box; top plates hinged to said side plates and means for closing said top plates; and heating means along the engaging edges of said top plates.

6. A machine of the class described embodying: a table; standards supporting said table; a collapsible form on said table comprising a base section in said table, side plates hinged to said table along the edges of said base section, and top plates hinged to some of said side plates; a shaft journaled in said standards beneath said table; a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft; followers engaging said cams; a vertically reciprocating link attached to each of said followers; guide means for said links; and swinging links interposed between the upper ends of said reciprocating links and said side plates.

7. A machine of the class described embodying: a table; spaced standards supporting said table; a collapsible box form in said table comprising a base section in said table, end plates hinged to said table at the ends of said base section, side plates hinged to said table at the sides of said base section, and top plates hinged to said side plates; a shaft journaled in said standards below said table; a pair of laterally spaced cams mounted on said shaft; followers engaging said cams; vertically reciprocating guide bars mounted on said followers; and swinging links interposed between the tops of said guide bars and said end plates respectively.

8. A machine of the class described embodying: a table; spaced standards supporting said table; a collapsible box form in said table comprising a pair of bottom plates pivotally mounted in said table to form a base section in said table, end plates hinged to said table at the ends of said base section, side plates hinged to said swinging links interposed between the tops of said guide bars and said end plates respectively; a second pair of laterally spaced cams mounted on said shaft; followers engaging said second mentioned cams; vertically reciprocating bars mounted on said second mentioned followers; and swinging links interposed between said second mentioned bars and said bottom plates respectively.

9. A machine of the class described embodying: a table; spaced standards supporting said table; a collapsible box form in said table comprising a pair of bottom plates pivotally mounted in said table to form a base section in said table, end plates hinged to said table at the ends of said base section, side plates hinged to said table at the sides of said base section, and top plates hinged to said side plates; a shaft journaled in said standards below said table; a pair of laterally spaced cams mounted on said shaft; followers engaging said cams; vertically reciprocating guide bars mounted on said followers; swinging links interposed between the tops of said guidebars and said end plates respectively; a cover operating cam mounted on said shaft; a follower engaging said cover operating cam; guide means for said last mentioned follower; and a pair of swinging links pivotally attached to said follower at their lower ends and having their upper ends pivotally attached to said side plates.

10. In a device of the class described: a table; standards supporting said table; a shaft journaled in said standards below said table; a form comprising side plates and end plates hinged to said table and surrounding a base section; and means for operating said side members comprising a cam on said shaft, a follower engaging the top of said cam, guide means for said follower, swinging links pivotally attached to said follower and engaging said side plates at their upper ends for swinging same upwardly from said table, yieldable means holding said plates in the upward position and means for retracting said plates comprising a lever member below said cam adapted to be engaged thereby, and a link interposed between said lever and one of said side members.

11. An apparatus of the class described embodying: a table having an opening therein; bottom plates hinged to said table at the ends of said opening; end plates hinged to said table at the ends of said opening; side plates having end portions which extend a substantial distance beyond said opening; and hinge means on the extending end portions. of said side plates connecting said side plates to the table.

l2. A machine for molding lled pastry confections embodying: a base section; end plates hinged to the ends of said base section; side plates hinged to the sides of said base section, said side plates having rigid extensions of substantially the same width as the said side plates and extending a substantial distance beyond the ends of said base section; and means for swinging said plates upwardly from a substantially horizontal plane to form a box.

13. A machine for molding filled pastry c0n 75 fections embodying: a base section; end plates hinged to the ends of said base section; side plates hinged to the sides of said base section, said side plates having rigid extensions of substantially the same width as the said side plates .and extending a. substantial distance beyond the top plates.

Aends of said base section; means for swinging said plates upwardly from a. substantially horizontal plane to form a. box; and top plates hinged to said side plates and means for closing said ELIZABETH MOSS. 

